The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-17

REED, OF MAINE, FIRES THE FIRST
GUN OF THE SESSION.

the Pretext for Shooting Off a Lot of
Clap-Trap-Mr. Hatch Points Out the
Insincerity of the Green Mountain
Boy,
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.-In the House to-
day Mr. Hatch, of Missouri, submitted
concurrent resolution that when the two
houses adjourn on Monday, Dec. 10, they
stand adjourned until Thursday, Jan. 5.
Mr.. Reed of Maine, inquired the reason
for the submission of this resolution.
Mr.. Hatch replied that it was the usual
resolution brought in at the first session of
Congress. The House had been in session
since the first Mondayin December. 1t was
well known that nothing had been accom-
plished The House was waiting for the
Speaker to announce the committees, and
he (Mr. Hatch was satisfied, from his per-
sonal knowledge and from what he had seen
of the occupation of the Speakers time by
members interested in the committee as
slgnments, that it was impossible tnat the
committees could be announced until after
the holiday recess. He had submitted the
resolution as much in the interest of public
business as for the convenience of the
Speaker.
PECULIAR CONDITIONS.
Mr.. Reed said that the peculiar condition
of the business affairs of the country rem
dered the action which had been taken or
rather the non-action which had been suf-
fered by the Democratic side Of the House,
a matter of legitimate comment both here
and before the country. Take it all in all ,
it was without precedent. Many changes
in the rules of the House had been sug-
gested, but had not been acted upon, and
vet it was proposed that the House adjourn
for the holidays and commence after the
recess, " here it had been the custom to be-
gin at the opening of the session. If there
were no matters of public interest before
the country such course might awaken
only passing comment. To-day Congress
was pressed upon by a serious public duty,
which was the reduction of the surplus,
which was coming into the Treasury in a
manner calculated under the management
of the Treasury Department to be an en-
barrassment to the finances of the country.
THE TOBACCO TAX.
All were agreed at least on the Republi-
can side-that thissurplus should be reduced
and the Republics 81 stood ready now to
make one reduction to which the other
side was agreed, and that was in reference
to the tobacco tax. He hoped that opportu-
nifty would be given them by the powers
that be, or were to be, to vote thereon, and
show to the country some proper disposition
in this regard If the gentlemen on the
other side found it somewhat difficult to ar
range themselves alongside of the recent
message which had been sent them that the
Republicans could well understand, and
could give their assurances of most pro-
found sympathy. [Laughterl The mes
sage was to some Dem Gratis q summons
from a very great ways off, and it required
that they should traverse very good dis
tance before they could get alongside of
their pioneer brother at the end of the av-
enue.
GROWING HUMOROUS.
If time was wanted for that purpose he
hoped that the gentleman from Missouri
would frankly say So daughter If the
gentlemen on the other side wers in grave
doubt how they should comply with the
suggestion of the message; if after they had
made up their minds in the interest of mod
GRAFTON and reform, and the most advanced
of them would be content with the destruc-
tion of few of our industries, and they
needed time to select those they saw fit to
destroy, that would be ground for this
motion, and he hoped the gentlemen would
say If that was the reason underneath
Mr. Hatch said he had hoped that he
could yield the floor to the gentleman from
Maine without that gentleman improving
his opportunity to make a political ha-
rangue. He did not think that the gentle
man had improved it much because he had
made the sameSld speech.
SELF-EvIDENT INsINCERITY.
If the gentleman had not had an oppor-
tunity time and again duriGg the Forty
ninth Congress to vote for consideration of
the tariff bill and had not always voted
against it there might be some sincerity in
his talk to-day. [Applausel Time and
again the Democratic side of the House had
rendered to the other side an opportunity to
reduce taxation and the surplus in the
Treasury, but the gentleman from Maine
by his voice and his vote had always stood
as the leader of his party to resist it. The
Democratic side would give the gentleman
an early opportunity to ventilate his views
on the tariff question and vote for a reduc
tion of the tariff if he wished to.
cLAP-TRAP.
Mr.. Reed-Why not nows
Mr.. Hatch-The gentleman knows that
tnat is clap-trap. Until the Committee on
Ways and Means is appointed and bills are
sent to that committee the gentleman
knows that there can be no fair considera-
ton of this question. 1t is to give the
Speaker an opportunity to form the com
mittees in the interest of the public busi-
ness of the country that offer the resolu-
tion.
Mr.. Cox of New York commented on
what he termed the sudden conversion of
the gentleman from Maine. He did not
think that there had been such sudden
conversion since the time of Saul of Tarsus.
ll1aughter.l He did not know why the gen
tleman should urge upon the Speaker the
Immature calling up of the committees.
The House was without rules, and it had no
committee framed for the consideration of
a reduction of the tobacco tax. In a matter
of so much consequence the House should
five to the Speaker the same opportunity
which had been accorded other Speakers.
CAME WITH POOR GRACE.
1t was known that the Treasury had a
plethora which paralyzed the channels of
trade and hurt the farmer and artisan, and
that there must be some relief, and it came
with little grace from the gentleman from
Maine to make this sinister and ironical and
sarcastic objection to the message Of the
President. He could recall time when
most eminent men on the other side
of the House had insisted upon re-
duction Of the tariff to prevent the
accumulation of surplus Among the rest
had been the gallant man from Maine with
the white plume. Among them had been
Messrs. Frye and Hale insisting on the reduc-
Jlon of the tax on salt and other articles ex-
cept lumber. LLaughter.] He would like
TO see every man in the House regard this
fiscal question as outside of politics. 1t was
a business question in every sense Of the
word.